


The Ghosts and their Chosen: Year One

by AlienAlkali



Series: The Ghosts and their Chosen [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action/Adventure, As in wait for the next couple of works slow, Drama, First year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter AU, Hogwarts AU, I am my own beta (and it’s exhausting), I plan on making this a series, Slow Burn, Tikki and Plagg are ghosts, like really slow burn, no beta because we die like men, there will be 7 in the series for each year at hogwarts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:27:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24599014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlienAlkali/pseuds/AlienAlkali
Summary: This is a long series, Miraculous Hogwarts au. Much time, dedication, planning, and plotting was put into the making of this series. I’m not kidding, we have a ten page outline (and still going) of loosely put together (and slightly disorganised) ideas.It’s what you would expect of a Harry Potter au, but we’ll keep things interesting with lots of drama! ;)PLEASE GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO ELEPHANT-HAIR-DONT-CARE (on tumblr) BECAUSE SHE IS MY CO-CREATOR. NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT HER. Seriously, though, she deserves a whole lot of credit.
Series: The Ghosts and their Chosen [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778200
Comments: 16
Kudos: 28





	1. Book One

I guess my way of living was normal. I mean, this is all I’ve ever known. 

July 9th, I thought as I looked at my calendar, a red circle around the day. That was today. July 9th. And as far as I was concerned, there were only two outcomes for today. Breathe, Marinette, I thought to myself as I got ready for the day. I was helping my parents in the bakery today, just like any normal day. But today was not normal. Or, at least, I hoped it would be.

I walked out of my bedroom and down the stairs to the kitchen.

“Surprise! Happy birthday, Marinette!” My parents stood behind the counter, sparklers in hand, a whole bunch of crêpes already prepared.

I couldn’t tell you how happy I was. It was on days like these that I felt guiltiest for wanting—

“Okay, I know today is your eleventh birthday, and a very special one, but I’ve got cakes in the oven and I need to start working on some rice dough,” my mom explained as I sat down to eat.

“Okay. I can help once I finish,” I replied.

Mom and papa looked at each other before turning back to me, in which papa asked, “Are you sure, honey? You can take the day off—“

“And do what? Sit around and be bored? Please. Besides, I’m pretty sure Nadja and Manon are coming to pick up their order today.”

“Well... okay. If that’s what you really want.”

I smiled and ate my crêpes as they kissed my forehead and left, heading downstairs to the bakery. They must have already ate, I remarked, noticing the dishes in the sink, hastily stacked. I was more than happy to do dishes for them since they already do so much.

By noon, there had already been so many customers. Plenty of people had walked in to grab some baked goods and wished me a happy birthday. Being home schooled my whole life, I didn’t have many friends to whom I was close to. That was fine by me. I wasn’t exactly a social butterfly.

But hopefully that will change by the end of today, I caught myself thinking.

But would I be able to see my parents’ heart broken faces? Would I be able to go without them? 

Ha, that’s if you even get considered, a voice in the back of my mind taunted.

I guess we will just have to wait and see.

It was sunset and my parents insisted that they put together dinner. I took mom’s place in the bakery as she did that. My nerves were on edge, I couldn’t help it.

Papa must have noticed it, too, because as I was kneading some dough after he put some in the kiln, he sparked up a conversation.

“You know, I remember my eleventh birthday. Goodness, I was so excited! But as the hours went on, I started to get anxious, then hopeless.”

I looked over at him, the hopelessness clearly written all over my face.

“But you want to know a secret? At the end of the day, my family had my back. And everything was okay. Want to know another secret?”

I rolled my eyes playfully, a small smile gracing my lips as he ruffled my hair. “What?”

“Your family has your back, too.”

I had just blown out my birthday candles when I heard it. The sound of swooshing by the balcony, a brown streak, the muted thump on concrete, and the call of an animal.

An owl.

My eyes were glued to the balcony, frozen in place. My parents were motionless behind me as I stood up from my chair and slowly made my way to the door. The handle felt heavy under my palm. And cold. Very cold.

In front of me on the concrete balcony was a letter with a scarlet wax seal.

I didn’t need to open the letter to know what it was.

It was my Hogwarts letter.


	2. Book Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s gonna be some feels in this one. I am, after all, an angst writer, so I’m gonna have this chapter have feels. But don’t worry, it’s not heavy, and there will be happy times coming soon! Next chapter, I pwomise! :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don’t. Almond Joys have nuts. Mounds don’t.  
> Sorry, I had to get that out of my system. Okay, here we go!

I loved it when Papa brought magic into his baking. Even though Mom can’t do magic, when she found out about all the different foods in the wizarding world, she was on it. 

Pumpkin pasty is her favourite. She makes pumpkin pasty dumplings, pumpkin pasty doughnuts, pumpkin cinnamon spice cider... she really likes pumpkins. But I’m not complaining.

It was four in the morning when I woke up. Papa would usually start heading downstairs to prepare for the day, but not today. Today, the bakery will be closed. 

I can’t believe you’re actually going to do this to them, the voice in the back of my head called out.

You’re selfish.

I shook my head, and the sleep from my eyes with it, as I turned away from my nightstand and made my way to the bath tub to clean up. I ran the water hot before letting myself soak. Usually I took a shower, but I was so tense and worried. A shower wasn’t going to cut it.

I got a towel wrapped around me after 10 minutes, my hair silky and smelling of fresh passion fruit. I’d put Epsom salt in the tub and a bath bomb. It was going to be a while before I could do that again.

Walking back into my room, I looked back over at my nightstand and stared at the letter with the broken seal. This was my future now. Sure, this was everything I ever wanted, and it proved that I wasn’t a lost cause when it came to magic, but I still felt guilty. 

What will Mom and Papa do? Will they miss me? What if I disappoint them? What if I dishonour the family name—?

There was a gentle knock at my door. 

“Sweetie, can I come in?” said a quiet, kind voice. Mom.

“Yeah, sure.”

She opened the door, gently, slowly, calmly. Mom wasn’t that tall, but she was taller than me. And she was also much more graceful than me. Her presence was reassuring. Almost nostalgic. For what, I do not know. 

“Hey, sweetie. How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine. Just... a little nervous is all.”

Her eyebrows scrunched together slightly, out of concern. Even then she was still beautiful. She was beautiful when she smiled, when she cried, when she was protective, when she was tired, when she defended her loved ones. She was beautiful in every way. And it was hard knowing I would have to live up to that.

“Really, Mom. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine.” 

I always am. I always will be.

“Well, I was going to prepare breakfast in a bit. Xiao long bao, chicken fried rice, udon.” Udon was technically Japanese, but Mom liked learning about different cultures and their food. 

I started tearing up, not knowing what I did to deserve a mother like her.

“Oh, wo de nu er,” she hummed as she walked forward to hold me in an embrace. “What’s wrong?”

“Mei you, Mama. I just... wo ai ne.” Had I been in a different family, I would have been yelled at for saying such an affectionate thing. But not my mother. She was fine with it.

“Oh— I love you, too, Marinette.” She gave my shoulders a squeeze before looking down at me. “You’re tense. And you’re under stress. This is a big day, after all. Lie down, I’ll grab some essential oils and give you a massage, okay?”

I nodded as I rested myself face first on my bed. My room was nice, and so were my parents. They listened to me, and they rarely raised their voices. It was a quiet home and I had been given much. 

I wish I could tell them how grateful I was. 

I wish that I hadn’t left them.

I was drinking jasmine tea. It was five forty. I could still smell the sage and lavender of Mom’s hands as she stroked up my spine moments earlier. I could still feel her fingers as they dug and pressed into my shoulders. The weight of her body pressing down on me as she used the forces of gravity to win in her favour. The way how she traced circles and lines on my skin, lightly, softly, as though any more pressure would cause me to break. Most people use their muscles when massaging others, but that’s where it goes wrong. Mom taught me that in order to do a good job and not wear yourself out, you must use gravity and your own body weight to massage, only using your own muscles when necessary.

What did I do to deserve this?

It didn’t take much longer until breakfast was ready. It was a good thing, too, because I was famished. My eyes lit up when Mom set out the plates and bowls.

“I remember when you were little, you would call it ‘flied lice’,” Papa chuckled. All I did was roll my eyes playfully and stick out my tongue as I reached for a xiao long bao with my chopsticks. It was amazing.

After breakfast, I offered to clean the dishes, but Papa wouldn’t let me. Instead, I went to go pack my stuff. A pang of guilt hit me as I reached for the family portrait on my nightstand. I set it on top of all my belongings in my suitcase, which Papa had charmed so that it took up little space wherever I went, but it could fit a whole bunch more. 

Oh, how I love magic. 

“Don’t fight with the other kids.”

“Be nice.”

“Don’t show off...”

My mind wandered as my parents rambled on. We were standing on platform 9 3/4, right next to the train I was supposed to board. At this rate, I won’t.

Mari, be grateful! Not everyone in this world has supportive, loving parents, I scolded myself before snapping back to reality.

They were both looking at me, eyes filled with love, concern, worry, anxiety. It just about broke my heart.

“Hey, I’ll be fine,” I lied. “I have an owl, so you can write whenever you want.”

They still looked unconvinced. 

“Seriously—“

I was cut short as my parents lunged at me at the same time, embracing me in a big hug. Papa was strong enough to lift us off the ground. 

The train operator called a last warning.

“Right. Well, you better get going, pumpkin,” Papa muttered. He was barely holding back his tears as it was.

I couldn’t wait to finally go to Hogwarts. 

I wish that I hadn’t left them.

“Okay, well... I’ll see you later,” I offered, smiling my goofy smile and waving my hand before picking up my luggage and owl cage to board.

As I stepped on, I heard sniffing from behind me and my mother say, “Oh, Tom. Keep it together.”

I searched for an empty spot and was surprised to find one. Setting down my belongings, I poked my head out the window and waved at my parents as the train started moving.

Oh, what a year this will be.

Little did I know then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, longer. That wasn’t so bad, was it? God, I’m becoming one of them. Anyways, tell us what you think! It’s currently a little past midnight, so you’re welcome. God, insomnia SUCKS!  
> *Sees people actually liked this.* Great! Now I have to make a commitment! Thanks, guys!  
> (And clearly I’m also a content creator if I haven’t given it away yet, lol Xp)
> 
> And just remember, if you get nothing else out of this: sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don’t. Almond Joys have nuts. Mounds don’t.  
> (God, I’m gonna have this song stuck in my head for the rest of tonight.)


	3. Book 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I promised happy times, right? Well, I’m gonna give you peeps happy times. This is more of a drama, comedy, warm-fuzzy feelings chapter. Marinette is still on the train, but things get good. Mwahahaha!!

It had been about five minutes since the train had started moving. I was still the only one in the compartment when I reached into my purse to check my Hogwarts letter. I did this out of habit, maybe to reassure myself, maybe to help me realise this was all real. 

But when I reached into my purse, I found two letters, not one. This new letter also had a scarlet wax seal, but instead of having the Hogwarts emblem, it had a singular Chinese character: 爱。

I smiled. Mom must have snuck it in my purse before we left. I broke the seal and slipped the letter from the envelope. My hands delicately ran across the piece of paper, over the black ink, the carefully written Chinese characters. It smelled like jasmine tea. It felt like home. 

Mom had started teaching me Mandarin when I was seven, realising that it would be smart to pick up a second language. It wasn’t until recently that I had officially been declared bilingual, by grace of my mother. And knowing Mom, she was probably going to send all her letters in Mandarin and demand I do the same when I write to her, so that I don’t forget what I have learned. Seven years at an English speaking school would do a number on you, Papa had reiterated.

I tentatively started reading over the characters:

_Marinette,_

_I thought you might want a letter to keep. We will write weekly so as to not distract you from your studies but also so you don’t miss us too much. ;)_

_I left some pumpkin pasty, both macaroons and macarons, cauldron cakes, pumpkin juice, sea salted dark chocolate covered caramel (for when you get nauseous on the train), sherbet lemons (also good for nausea), butterbeer cupcakes, and mooncakes with red bean paste. I expect you to share with friends, of course. I don’t want you getting sick on your first week of school. Don’t worry, I left a bag of fresh cabbage leaves as well._

_I left the food in bags and containers and slipped them in your suitcase after you packed up. Your father pulled off some magic so nothing would get ruined. ;)_

_Marinette, I want you to know that no matter what happens, you will still be our daughter and we will still love you. We don’t care what house you get put in, we just want you to be happy._

_Stay safe, make friends, make good choices, get good grades, we will write again soon._

_With bundles of love,_  
_Mom_

I smiled sweetly down at the letter as I tucked it back in its envelope and placed it in my purse. I reached for my suitcase and found the food Mom had mentioned, snuggly tucked in with the rest of my belongings. 

It was at that moment that a chocolate frog came bounding in through the door of the compartment. I giggled when it hopped on my nose before bouncing around. I tried catching it when a boy walked in. He had a t-shirt, red cap, and nerdy glasses. It went well with him.

“Don’t let it loose!” he shouted as he dived to catch it, but the frog was faster. Two girls were passing by when the chocolate frog landed on the blonde one.

“Eeeek!”

“Chloé, what’s wrong—“ The ginger stopped mid sentence as she looked over to see what the problem was and shrieked herself.

“Get it off get it off get it off!” the girl named Chloé squealed as she swatted at the frog.

“No! Wait—!” the boy with nerdy glasses started, but he was too late. The frog had jumped out an open window. 

I was about to help the boy with nerdy glasses up from the floor, but Chloé’s glare stopped me cold. 

“You.” Oh, the amount of malice that was thrown into that word. “You did this. My hair is ruined because of you!” Her voice was now more like a whine than a threat.

“I think I have some—“ the ginger started. 

“And you! You’re—“ she was about to start yelling at the boy with nerdy glasses when a girl stepped between Chloé and the two of us. 

“Hey! Don’t yell at them! It wasn’t their faults.” Her voice was strong, like steel. Her hair was a brown ombré, dangling just below her chin. Her eyes were protected by wide brimmed glasses, but behind them her eyes were alit with fire and remained unwavering on the girl named Chloé. Her robes fell elegantly towards the ground, but that elegance wasn’t fooling anyone. 

She was truly courageous.

“Um, excuse me, who are you?” Chloé responded, and with a fair amount of sass at that. 

“You are not excused,” the girl with fiery eyes retorted calmly, but also stern. “And as for my name, that’s none of your business.”

The ginger covered her mouth as she gasped. Chloé looked like she was going to explode.

“YOU ARE RIDICULOUS! UTTERLY RIDICULOUS!”

“Maybe. But with that makeover, you don’t have much room to talk.”

The girl named Chloé looked shocked as the ginger laid her hands on Chloé’s shoulders and started steering her away. “Come on, Chloé, we better go back to our compartment.”

Maybe about ten steps later, Chloé snapped out of her shock and started yelling, “Daddy’s going to hear about this! Just you wait!”

The girl with fiery eyes and an unhealthy amount of bravery stood her ground as she watched them go away from sight before turning back to us.

“Are you guys alright?” There was an edge of concern in her voice, but I could tell she was the sceptical type. Not that I blamed her. It was smart.

“Y-yeah, I am. What about you...?” I paused, my voice inquiring what his name was as I hoisted him up. 

“Nino Lahiffe. But you can call me Nino. And yeah, I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief.” He seemed kind and looked like he liked to have fun. I turned back to the girl. “I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

I offered my hand, to which she hesitated before dragging me down with her to sit. She slung her arm around my shoulder and kicked her legs up on the seat in front of her.

“Alya. Alya Césaire,” she mentioned casually, as though we’d been best friends since kindergarten. It was then that Nino and Alya both lit up when then saw my opened suitcase, goodies and all.

“Merlin’s beard! Did you make those?”

“No, my mom did,” I said shyly, a small smile playing my lips. They both looked eager, but I guess they were too polite to ask for any. 

“Wow, I wish my mom made me treats,” Nino added.

“Do you guys want some? There’s no way I’m going to eat it all.”

“Really?!” The fire in Alya’s eyes were replaced with stars, I swore it.

“Yeah. That’s what friends are for. You got my back, I got yours.”

It was at that moment, as I passed around the pasties, mooncakes, and other goodies, that I knew we would be best friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that I wrote the letter in English instead of Mandarin for the sake of, well, all you non-Mandarin speakers.
> 
> Also, please keep in mind that they are eleven, so their appearances might be a little different. Imagine Alya with short hair and one or two missing teeth and huge glasses. I saw fanart online for a toddler au, and Alya was just absolutely adorable, I had to incorporate some elements into the fic.
> 
> I like to think Mari has a bun (but that might change in the next couple chapters).


	4. Book 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally arrive at Hogwarts! Y’all are gonna love this!! I’m really bad at chapter summaries, aren’t I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zoe’s a sandwich. Lettuce, turkey, mayo. Mayo! MAYO! XD I’m sorry, I had to!
> 
> Okay, song playing on repeat stuck inside my head (other than the ‘I’m a sandwich’ tiktok)? We didn’t start the fire. And that, my lovely readers, is the fuel for today’s inspiration.
> 
> Sorry for not getting this chapter out last night, I got a serious foot cramp and decided to call it a night.
> 
> Quick question: did you all get the little thing I did with Sabine’s letter? The wax seal had the character “爱” on it. Let me know if you’ve figured out how it ties in with the show!

Alya had taken one good look at me once I had gotten my robes on and said, “Uh, no.”

“N-no?” Had I done something wrong?

“Yeah, no.”

Nino looked up from his iPod. I wasn’t sure if they’d let him keep it at Hogwarts.

“What do you m-mean by ‘no’?” I asked hesitantly as she rummaged around in her pack.

“Ah, this might work,” she muttered to herself, holding up two red ribbons to my face and squinting before nodding to herself. “You’re bun is cute, but it’ll draw unwanted attention. You don’t seem like the sort of person who wants that.”

I gave her a confused glance and she softened, pulling out a brush.

“Mind if I experiment a different hair look on you? You can change it back if you don’t like it.” Her voice was kinder now, gentle. Not quite like my mom’s, though.

I shrugged and her grin widened, taking a seat next to me. I turned away from her as she undid my bun, careful as to not pull on my hair. My hair flowed down my shoulders, reaching a few inches below my shoulders. She separated my hair between left side and right side, taking one side in hand and brushing it over.

Hogwarts was magical.

Had I known how magical it would look in person, I would have been much less nervous. I took in a deep breath of fresh evening air as we approached the castle. It was breathtaking, absolutely breathtaking. My excitement grew with every step I took, nestled between Alya and Nino. We no longer had any of our belongings with us as we stepped inside the castle. Many people gasped, but I reached for Nino’s and Alya’s hands. They were my stability now.

I could have sworn I saw Nino’s cheeks darken from the corner of my eye, but I didn’t have the chance to say anything when Chloé and her ginger sidekick started giggling. 

“It seems someone decided to change their hair. And good riddance at that because your bun was a monstrosity!” Chloé giggled. I chose that moment to take a sudden interest in my shoes.

“Cut it out, or I’ll cut it out for you,” Alya threatened.

“Make me, half-blood,” she retort back.

Alya rolled up her sleeves and took a step forward, looking like she was going for the kill, when a boy intercepted.

“Hey, there’s no need to fight. I’m sure we can work this out calmly.”

Holy son of a banshee, I thought. His eyes were a lively, vivid green. His hair flowed in all the right directions and was the perfect blond; not quite bleach, not quite golden. If I hadn’t know better, I would have claimed he had a models body.

Several of the students began to whisper as he came forth. Something something ‘a rest’? Something about the Adriatic Sea? I heard one girl say “that can’t seriously be...”, but I never heard the rest of that sentence. 

“Oh, Adrikins! I was wondering where you were!” Ew! He was with _her?_

Chloé stepped forward, looking like she was going to hug him, but ‘Adrikins’ put a hand out to stop her, giving her a gentle glare. Was it possible for someone to do that?

“Chloé, I thought you were better than this. That was really uncool of you to call someone out like that, or to say something like that at all.” There was something about him... his voice, his appearance... it was almost enchanting.

Chloé looked hurt, but I didn’t give it much thought because just then a woman with red hair and blue eyes stepped forward at the top of the stairs. She was dressed in black robes and a pointy hat with a floppy brim. She was tall and slender and when she spoke, her voice caught the attention of all.

“Good evening, students, and welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Professor Bustier, and I am the Deputy Headmaster at Hogwarts. Now, please, form a line and follow me.”

We were sitting down in the Great Hall, chatting away when a short, old man walked to the front and the chatter died down.

“Welcome, students. I, as many of you may know, am Headmaster Fu. This year...” I tuned out of the long welcoming speech he was about to give, catching the glare of Chloé and her ginger sidekick when I glanced over. ‘Adrikins’ was sitting near them. He seemed alright, but I wasn’t one to be fooled. Anyone who was close with Chloé must be trouble. I didn’t like that girl, and I felt—deep down in my bones—that it wasn’t going to get much better from here. 

Alya nudged me in my side when the speech was done.

“And now, if our first years could come forward as we call their names. You will be sorted into your houses by the Sorting Hat.”

One by one, names were called in alphabetical order. I didn’t recognise the first few people—

“Adrien Agreste.”

Almost everyone in the room gasped when that name was called. ‘Adrikins’, the enchanting boy, stood and made his way to the front of the Hall. 

“Why is everyone so shocked?” Nino asked. Alya and I looked at him, surprised at his remark. 

“You mean to tell me you have never heard of the Agreste family before?” Alya inquired. Nino looked embarrassed, making us feel bad.

“Gabriel Agreste is the most famous and talented fashion designer in the wizarding world,” I explained. “He truly has a gift, but he hasn’t been seen in public ever since...” I couldn’t bring myself to finish that thought, looking up at the boy as he almost reached the front. I felt bad for him for a moment. No one should ever have to go through something like that.

“Anyways, that there is his son, Adrien Agreste.”

“I heard a rumour going around that he’s half Veela,” Alya whispered so only the three of us could hear. 

“Veela? What’s a Veela?” Nino inquired. Alya and I shared a glance. He doesn’t know what a Veela is? Wait—

“N-Nino? Are you a muggle-born?” I asked as gently as possible. I knew some witches and wizards were particularly sensitive to such a subject and I didn’t want to offend him.

“Yeah? Is there a problem with that?”

“No! No, of course not! I was just curious. That would explain why...” Unicorn turds! Now you’ve done it, Mari. Great going!

“Why I don’t know anything? Yeah. It would.” Now I felt really guilty.

“Hey, Nino, we didn’t mean any harm,” Alya spoke up. Adrien was sitting on the stool now, hat being raised to his head. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m only a half-blood.”

“Yeah, so am I!” I chipped in.

That must have cheered him up a little, knowing we had good intentions. Adrien still had the Sorting Hat on his head. Several kids were whispering about him and what house he would get. I saw a couple sixth years—or at least I thought they were—from Gryffindor placing bets, smug smiles and all.

It seemed to take a while, but not too long. He seemed to be really torn between his choices. At last, the hat called: “Slytherin!”

People cheered, money was passed around, the Slytherin house hooted and hollered, or at least those who weren’t as reserved as the others. Slytherin was a fine house. Known for their ambition, many fine witches and wizards came out of that house with a reputation for success. I’d heard that in the 90s’ they got a bit of a bad rep, though.

More names. Marc Anciel, Hufflepuff; Chloé Bourgeois, Slytherin; Ivan Bruel, Hufflepuff; Alya Césaire, Ravenclaw; Juleka Couffaine, Gryffindor. More names.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

That got a couple people talking. Papa wasn’t as famous as the Bourgeois’s or as the Agreste’s, but he was well known for his baking. Many witches and wizards came to his bakery. Muggles, too, although they were unaware of him being a wizard.

I gave Alya’s and Nino’s hand a gentle squeeze before getting up. I passed by a group of Hufflepuffs who smiled kindly at me, some Slytherins who smirked knowingly, Gryffindors who cheered me on, and Ravenclaws who sat and judged my every move. 

It felt like forever walking to the front.

Once I had settled down on the stool, the Sorting Hat was placed atop my head. It was probably judging me as I wiped my sweaty palms against my robes.

_“Ah, now here is one with a heart set out for right. Your bravery, fierce; you’re intelligence, bright. Your ambitions are bold and your kindness is light. You fool many because you prefer to stay out of sight. But you can’t fool me, I see you’d put up a fight.”_ The hat chuckled. I wasn’t sure what to make of what it was saying.

_“Don’t worry, dear, I won’t say much more. The decision is yours, but we both know what you came here for.”_

My parents said they love me for who I am. Hufflepuff would take me in without hesitation. They’d help me emotionally when I get homesick. They’d be my family in a moments notice.

Ravenclaw was out of the question. Sure, I studied hard, but I wouldn’t fit in, I wouldn’t be happy. They value knowledge above others, which is not for me.

I might make it in Slytherin. They are ambitious and strive to be the best versions of themselves.

As for Gryffindor, I wasn’t very courageous. I stutter when I talk, I’m scared of failure. I would be an embarrassment.

_“Gryffindor!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent several hours on this chapter making sure everything was just right, revising it several times, and yet I still feel like it is lacking in emotion. The words kinda feel empty to me. I don’t know, tell me what you think.
> 
> Please leave comments, it gets a little lonely around here and I’m not sure if anyone is reading this far, which can be really discouraging. Love y’all!


	5. Book 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette goes on the first year tour and gets a new roommate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe. Hi. Sorry for not updating. I got writers block and then a whole bunch of crap happened and life’s crazy, but here’s another chapter! 
> 
> Um, sorry if my trash talk is really bad, I’m working on it. It’s strange because I’m really good at arguing with other people, but when I try to write out an argument, it sort of just doesn’t work out? I guess I’m just better at working under pressure. 🤷♀️
> 
> Anyways, really sorry, hope you enjoy!

I didn’t mean to get distracted. I parted ways from Alya and Nino when we were divided into our house groups. I, naturally, followed the first year Gryffindor crowd for our first year tour.

As our guide, Carmen, showed us around, I noticed all the other kids seemed disinterested. I, however, just couldn’t get enough. The architecture was breathtaking, and so was the magic. I was in love with the place. 

I had fallen towards the back of the crowd to investigate the paintings as the rest of the group carried on. That’s when I heard it: the voices. I looked around, but no one else was there other than the crowd that was slowly getting farther away from me. But then I heard it again, coming from the nearest doorway. 

I looked back at the group. They were going up the moving stairs, but I would only be gone for a few seconds. So I cautiously approached the arch of the door. At first I couldn’t see anyone, but as I kept walking forward, I noticed it from the corner of my eye. 

I backed up against the wall. It was a miracle they hadn’t seen me already, so I stayed out of sight. I couldn’t see them, but at least I was safe.

“—not do it,” one of them was saying.

“Don’t be silly, now. You know of the tradition.”

“You mean of the curse?”

“Tsk. Please.” The ghost rolled her eyes. “Remember what the tradition calls for?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve been keeping an eye out for one that stands out in particular, but I haven’t found one yet. How about you?”

“No. Not yet. But I’ve eliminated several.”

“Good. We have to make a decision by midnight, though.”

“Yeah, I know—“ one of the ghosts was cut off when she heard footsteps. “Hurry, someone’s coming!”

I frowned when the ghosts disappeared, turning my attention to the oncoming intruders. They were just outside the door I had come through. I walked towards them to hear their voices better, steering clear from their line of vision. 

Chloé Bourgeois and Sabrina Raincomrix were harassing Alya Césaire and Nino Lahiffe. 

“Why are _you_ here? I thought this school was for witches and wizards, not for mud-bloods,” Chloé was saying. My cheeks reddened as I could only imagine Nino’s eyes water, followed by sniffles. 

I’m sure Alya was about to make some snappy remark, but I decided at that moment to step in and make my presence known.

“Hey, beat it, before I do something you regret.”

“Dupain-Cheng? Ugh! I knew you were trouble! Wait until my daddy hears about this.”

“Ugh... no.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said no. And you’re not excused. You see, if you tell anyone why we’re out wandering the castle when we shouldn’t be, then we can use that against you. How would you know we were meandering about if you hadn’t been doing the same? See? Bad idea.”

Chloé looked offended and shocked at the same time, but I could see that Sabrina understood what I was saying.

“We’ll get her next time, Chloé. For now, I think we best get back.”

“Yeah, you heard her! Get lost,” Alya threatened.

Chloé glared at me for a good while but finally caved in. “Fine. But next time, you won’t get off so easily.”

I sighed once they left. That was a close one. Who knows what would happen if I got caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to be doing. 

I had to ask the pictures around where the group had gone. Some were helpful, but some were not. It took me a while, and by the time I caught up with the group, Carmen and some sixth year named Gregory had already sorted the first years to their dorms. 

Carmen was standing in the middle of the common room, her arms folded over her chest. She wasn’t intimidating, but she didn’t look kind, either. 

“I see you took your time,” she commented.

“I-I...” What was I supposed to say?

Carmen looked me up and down before breaking out into a smile. “It’s cool. I used to sneak out all the time. Just don’t get caught, okay?”

“Th-thanks.”

“Unfortunately, all choices have consequences. You, being the last first year, don’t get to pick which dorm you’re in or who your roommate is.”

I nodded. That was understandable. It wasn’t her trying to punish me for wandering off, it was just what it was. Because I wasn’t here when dorms got figured out, I was given the leftovers.

“Up the left staircase, last door on the right.” She winked at me as I made my way past her. 

I strolled down the hall past a bunch of doors. Some were open, some were closed. Some had giggling girls, others had lights off and were silent. I was nervous. I’d never shared a room before. Would she be bubbly, or would she be shy? Was she friendly or did she prefer her space? Would we get along?

All these thoughts raced through my mind as I walked down the corridor. There was a stain glass window at the end of the hall. It was pretty, but I didn’t take too much notice of it as I put my hand on the door handle to my dorm. The door closed, but candles were lit. There was no giggling, no chatter of other girls visiting to make friends, just the shuffling of her feet as she rearranged her stuff. She did not hum, nor did she talk to her familiar. 

A thousand thoughts raced through my head as I turned that handle. Opening the door all the way, I saw a girl around my height standing by her wardrobe. She had a bob cut and warm brown eyes. Her lips were pressed thin as she examined me. She didn’t look too happy to see me. But she wasn’t upset. 

“H-hi. I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’m your roommate.”

Her eyebrows creased together just slightly before she bowed. My mother did that often when greeting people. 

“Kagami Tsurugi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it awkward? I feel like my writing is awkward. My other fics usually have a better flow.
> 
> It’s late and I’m tired and usually don’t get a whole chapter done and revised in one sitting, but... next chapter will be of better quality. Promise. And I won’t take so long to update!


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